Marriage Trials
by KataangEternal
Summary: When Aang and Katara marry, it doesn't take long at all before issues creep up that interfere in their relationship. Will they over come the trials of marriage? Rated M for adult content.
1. The Wedding

**Aang and Katara are getting married. Little do they now how tough marriage can actually get, though. When tough situations begin to arise, will their marriage survive? Will they get through it? Will their love prevail?**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar: The Last Airbender. **

**Chapter 1: The Wedding**

It was the biggest day of their lives: Their wedding day.

Katara was 16 and Aang was 14. It was only a few months ago that Aang had proposed to Katara on her birthday and asked her father for her hand in marriage. The customs of the water tribe declared that a man had to be at least 15 to propose but Aang had proposed early. His main reason for doing so rather than waiting was because he didn't want another man to steal Katara. Katara was perhaps the most gorgeous woman in the whole tribe, and the daughter of the chief to boot. That and being a master waterbender attracted a lot of men who would have loved to court her, and several planned to ask her hand in marriage on her sixteenth birthday. Hakoda, Katara's father, knew that Aang was the one she loved, but even as chief he couldn't turn down the proposals of others solely because Aang wasn't of age to marry. That could lower the moral of his people and taint his reputation as a leader. Knowing this, Aang asked Hakoda despite being only fourteen. Knowing Aang was the only one Katara would ever love, Hakoda gladly gave his blessing, using the fact the Aang was the Avatar and that such a union was a great thing for the tribe as a loophole to the whole age thing.

The wedding took place outside. Aang stood at the end of the aisle, dressed in light blue wedding robes. It was similar to his Avatar robes, but with water tribe designs. He watched as Katara walked down the aisle, dressed in a beautiful wedding gown. It was a dark blue, several shades darker than her traditional water tribe robe, and went all the way down to her ankles with a slit on the side that went up to her knees. Her hair was braided back in her traditional style along with her hair loopies, and she had a single flower in her hair tucked behind her left ear. She wore no makeup; Southern Water Tribes traditions said that a woman should present herself to her husband without any beauty enhancements of the skin or perfume. She was to display her natural beauty to her partner in life, not luring him with cosmetic attraction. This was why Aang wore no cologne.

Aang watched Katara as she was slowly escorted down the carpet by her father. This was another part of the Southern Water Tribe customs. This whole wedding was following the traditions of the water tribe. There were no cultural customs when it came to weddings in the Air Nomad culture, so Aang and Katara both agreed to have a water tribe wedding. It was even taking place in the Southern water tribe, which was where Aang and Katara would be living as husband and wife. Katara had always thought that Aang would want to live at the Southern Air Temple, the place of his people, but this was not the case. _My people are no longer here,_ He had said. _I don't want us to live in a deserted, isolated area that feels so lifeless. You deserve better, Katara._ Of course, they would make trips to the temples every so often to clean them up and restore them for the next generation of Air Nomads, but their permanent home would be the Southern Water Tribe.

Being that Katara was the daughter of the chief of the water tribe, many people of the tribe were in attendance. At least half of the tribe's population, Hakoda had guessed. And it was no longer a small village. Between many people from the northern tribes moving here and the discovery of some long lost villages in the south, the place had become quite the city. Not as big as the northern water tribe, but still quite large. Katara brought most of the tribe here, and Aang, being the Avatar, had attracted many people worldwide to the wedding, largely politicians, rulers, royal subjects, and high class families. In the front row were their family and closest friends, with the exception of Sokka, who was part of the ceremony. Even though Sokka was having the damndest time letting Katara grow up, he had agreed to be part of the ceremony, with the motivation of his sister's death threats if he didn't.

Katara was finally at Aang's side. Hakoda, Katara's father and chief of the Southern Water Tribe held her arm to Aang, who gladly took Katara's hand as she extended her other hand for him to take as well. They stood there, hand-in-hand, looking in each others eyes with love and passion. Master Pakku stood in front of them. He was the one who would wed them. That decision had boiled down to Bumi, Iroh, or Pakku. Eventually they decided on Pakku, because after all, he was now Katara's grandfather.

"I stand here before you, in the name of the Moon and the Ocean," Pakku spoke to the audience, "To wed this couple in the name of the great spirits Tui and La. The wedding is powerful tradition centuries old. It is a joyous occasion that contains the very moment when a man and a woman proclaim their love before their friends, before their family, and most importantly, before the spirits, who blessed us with life itself.

Pakku was speaking directly from _Tui and La: The Tides of Life, _The holy book of the water tribes written over a thousand years ago.

"Just like the opposites of push and pull create the tides, the opposites of man and woman create the ultimate union of love that is called marriage, proving that opposites indeed create balance within one another; a balance without which we could not live. Everybody here stands witness to this moment of miracle, where Tui and La's example blesses these two as they prepare to take the journey of life together from now on.

Now Pakku's words were more directly focused toward the very couple getting married.

"From this day forward you will face each day together. You will laugh together and cry together. Celebrate together and mourn together. All of the tribulations of one will become the tribulations of the other. Every problem that you face you will face together. You are a team, and only by working together will you succeed. Separated the most trivial of issues can overcome you, but united you can survive the greatest challenges that life presents."

Pakku turned his attention turned the crowd now.

"If anybody here does not believe that these two can find balance and harmony within each other, please address your concerns before the spirits now."

No one spoke. Some of the men who hoped that it would be them wedding the beautiful water tribe girl thought of objecting, but figured doing so would only result in their own death by Katara's hands.

"Then repeat after me as we bless this couple."

Every phase that Pakku said was echoed by the wedding crowd in unison.

"On this day…", "On this day."

"At this very moment…", "At this very moment."

"We give our blessing…", "We give our blessing."

"To the couple before us…", "To the couple before us."

"And wish upon them…", "And wish upon them."

"The blessings of the spirits…", "The blessings of the spirits."

"As they journey through life…", "As they journey through life."

"Together as one…", "Together as one."

Pakku now directly addressed the Katara. "Katara, do you take Avatar Aang as your husband before the spirits? Do you vow to love and comfort him, to laugh and cry with him, through times both good and bad, in times of both sickness and health, until death separates you?"

"I do." Katara said without hesitation, smiling as she did.

Now Pakku addressed Aang directly. "Aang, do you take Lady Katara as your wife before the spirits? Do you vow to love and comfort her, to laugh and cry with her, through times both good and bad, in times of both sickness and health, until death separates you?"

Aang flashed the same smile that Katara had as he replied "I do."

Pakku turned to address Sokka. "The second flower, please."

Sokka walked up to Aang and handed him a flower identical to the one that Katara had tucked in her hair. Aang took it with the utmost gentle care.

"Aang, would you place the flower on the other side of Katara's hair?" Pakku instructed.

Aang did so, gently placing it behind her right ear. This minor act was symbolic of the women making the transition from single to married. Rather than using a ring or some other jewel, the act was performed with an actual specimen of nature.

"In the names of the spirits, I now pronounce you husband and wife."

Aang and Katara embraced each other fiercely and kissed. It was a kiss full of passion and energy. The entire audience erupted into applause and cheers, with some whistles and cat calls coming from the younger generations, such as Toph. They kissed for about half a minute, though to them it seemed like an eternity. They finally pulled away but kept their eyes fixated on each other.

"I love you, Katara," Aang spoke. "You have no idea how happy you have made me."

Katara giggled and replied, "I love you just the same. I'm so glad you proposed early."

Well, the ceremony went off without a hitch. Now it was time for the reception. "Now that we have witnessed this wedding, let us celebrate!" Pakku declared. "Everyone be at the royal palace within the hour."

* * *

Talk about celebrations. This would a party if there ever was one. The entire main hall of the palace had been reserved for the reception. When all the guests had arrived and taken their seats, dinner was served, and Hakoda stood up to address the audience. "A toast," he said, "To my daughter and my son-in-law!" Everyone raised their wine glasses and toasted the newlyweds as they kissed again, earning more whistles from their friends.

Aang and Katara's family sat with them at the grand table, along with Chief Arnook of the Northern Water Tribe and the Earth King, who had returned from his self-imposed exile. Dinner consisted of penguin meat, blubbered seal jerky, seasoned fish, and of course, stewed sea prunes. Since Aang was a vegetarian, Katara had made sure ahead of time that he would have his own specially prepared meal, consisting of vegetables and berries. And despite being only 14, Aang drank wine like everyone else. The legal age was 15, but Hakoda had assured the young Avatar that there would be no consequences for enjoying a little indulgence on his wedding; so long has he didn't take it too far. For the most part everyone ate dinner without too much chatter. Sokka was a bit of an exception, gobbling down his penguin meat and seal jerky like a cave man with matching noises. That was, until Katara gave him the look and said "Can you at least be a gentleman on my wedding day?" Suki, who was sitting next to him, also gave him a glare. After that he was as proper as one could get… at least as far as eating. Aang and Katara kept kissing in between bites of their dinner. This earned some "Aws" from their friends, although Sokka was disgusted. Married or not, he couldn't tolerate this of his baby sister. Towards the end of dinner he actually sounded his disgust and tried to separate them from each other. The only thing that saved him from Katara's wrath was that Suki slapped him hard across the face and instructed him to behave like a good little boy.

As soon as the feast was finished the dancing commenced. Of course the newlyweds had the honor of the first dance per tradition. Aang happily extended his hand out to his wife. "May I have this dance, my love?" Katara blushed and smiled. Such the sweet man, he was. "Of course, my husband," was her response and they quickly got onto the dance floor in the middle of the grand hall. They performed a very elaborate and stunning dance similar to their first dance in the fire caves 2 years ago. This time there weren't any acrobatics or flips because it wouldn't really be possible in the wedding clothes that they wore, but it still oozed passion and energy. Katara echoed the words that Aang had told her in the caves. "Just you and me right now." Since they had been dating, Aang had taught Katara many dancing styles that he learned a hundred years ago. Now they were displayed before a grand audience. Everybody was astonished at how fluent they were, moving in perfect sync with each other. Even Sokka was blown away, commenting "Yeah, they've proven they're in harmony." The dance ended with a dip, and Aang's lips met Katara's for another kiss. Of course, this earned a thunderous applause from their guests.

After this, everybody flooded out onto the dance floor. Music was provided by the same band that performed during that night in the fire nation cave. Now Katara was to dance with her father, then her brother, then Pakku. Given that Aang had no blood relatives, Suki, Toph, and Kanna agreed to dance with him so he wouldn't be stuck dancing with some random girls. The dancing went on for about an hour before it was time for dessert. Dessert consisted of moon peach pies and chocolate cake (both of which used recipes that Katara had created. An amazing cook, she was.) Many people weren't as focused on eating as they were focused on watching Aang and Katara feed each other cake and share the same bite of pie which would end with their lips kissing. That was how Katara and Aang ate their whole dessert. Whether they looked silly or stupid, they didn't care. They were married and in love. After dessert it was time for another round of dancing. This time, however, it started with a conga line. Aang started with Katara behind him, and people formed behind them until almost everyone was moving in the line. The only ones that didn't join were those that were too stuffed from all the food, or the ones that were piss-ass drunk off of the wine and champagne that was being served at the open bar. That group was mostly the single guys that wanted Katara, or the crazed avatar fan girls whose dreams had been crushed. They'd all come hoping to see the couple not follow through, but the ceremony had been successful. Thus, they all came to the reception for one thing: Free booze. And now most of them were so trashed they'd probably have to be escorted home by the guards.

One man actually got the balls to take action, largely thanks to generous amounts of alcohol. Shortly after the conga line disbanded he marched up to Aang, who was slow dancing with Katara, and grabbed him by his robes, getting in his face.

"You son of a bitch, first letting the world rot for a hundred years and then stealing the best hottie in town. I oughta-",

but he was cut off when the very girl he meant yanked him off of her husband and decked him right in the mouth, knocking his drunk behind to the floor. With amazing speed the Suki and Ty lee were there, picking up the drunken man and restraining him by the arms.

"What do you want done with him?" Suki asked.

Katara thought for a second before deciding. "Have him thrown in the jail chambers for the rest of the night." Suki and Ty lee dragged the limp, drunk man over to the guards, who handled the rest.

The man had been loud enough to draw everyone's attention. Everyone was frozen for a moment before Aang spoke up. "Come everybody; let's not let that show ruin the night." With that he took Katara's hand and they resumed dancing. Eventually everybody forgot the incident and the fun resumed.

"You know Aang," Katara whispered into his ear, "I couldn't have asked for a better wedding day." With that she kissed his cheek.

Aang couldn't help but smile. "What about that little incident that just happened?"

Katara giggled. "I'm actually glad that happened. Now everybody knows what will happen if they mess with my Aangy."

"You are truly an amazing woman, did you know that? You picked me even though everyone thought you were crazy." He asked as he kissed her. He had to look up to kiss since she was in high heels. He had not grown much taller since that day in Bah Sing Se when they shared that passionate kiss in the sunset. He was only about an inch taller than her. He had been told his growth was likely stunted by his time in the iceberg; such physical or emotional traumas could hinder one's growth. That hadn't helped his self-confidence much when they began dating. Being younger than her already got him a lot of teasing. Being shorter than her earned some insults from people who didn't know what she saw in him, and just as many girls as guys did it. Now that he was finally taller than her, albeit not by much, a lot of the teasing had stopped.

Katara laughed. "You know Aang; you've matured well and become quite the handsome man since then. Now we get to tease them, because I happen to know many of them regret the things they said."

"Ah! That's why they are draining our alcohol reserves. I thought the bar was just spiked with cactus juice." Aang said.

This earned a laugh from Katara. "By the way, Aang, you haven't had too much yourself, have you?"

"Only 3 glasses since the festivities started. Other than that I had water. What about you?"

"About the same, give or take a little."

"Why do you ask, Katara?"

She leaned in closer to make sure nobody heard them. "Because you have to stay sober. The _real _fun happens later tonight, remember?" She answered seductively.

Suddenly it felt quite warm.

* * *

**Thanks for reading. Review please! Updates should be soon.**


	2. The Wedding Night

**Sorry this chapter took so long guys! I didn't abandon the fic, this chapter just took forever to write. It went through several rewrites and I even had to send it to someone else before finalizing it. Anyways, enjoy.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar. I just write loads of fluff and angst based off it.**

**Chpt 2: The Wedding Night**

The overall excitement was beginning to dwindle. An open buffet had started for any guests that were still hungry, which put Sokka in heaven. Several people were still dancing, but now most were getting refreshments at the bar and chatting it up at their tables. Many guests had personally given Aang and Katara their blessings as the couple was now back at the table, regrouping after all their tiring dances.

This whole time, Katara had been teasing Aang.

In between people coming up to congratulate them, she kept shooting him seductive smiles, and based on his reaction she could tell it was driving him crazy. At one point she got up to go get a drink, and she put a slight sway in her hips as she walked towards the bar, fully aware that he was watching her. When she got back she couldn't help but "accidentally" knock their leftover pie on the floor. When she bent over to pick up the mess, her butt was maybe a foot or so away from his face.

After a while she realized she was turning herself on with all the teasing as well. She looked around the hall to take note of what was going on. Sokka and Zuko were quite drunk at this point, Mai, Suki, and Ty Lee were a little tipsy as well, and Toph was completely wasted. Katara was quite shocked that her parents, who had come for the wedding, let her drink. They must have decided to loosen their parental control, but perhaps a little too much. Hakoda, Arnook, Bumi, Iroh, Pakku, and Kanna were all chatting it up by the bar. Katara decided that the party had died down enough. It was time for her and Aang to retreat for the grand finale.

"It's time, Aang. Let's go." Katara told her husband with a hint of lust.

"Oh, thank the spirits," Aang responded. "I don't think I could have taken any more teasing."

This made her giggle as they both got up to retreat to Katara's bedroom. The bar was right at the entrance to the hall that led there and the older folks realized where the newlywed couple was headed the second they got up.

"Bored with the party already? Young love cannot be contained." Iroh said just as the couple walked by them, which made them freeze and blush.

"Ah, time for the good ole' mating rituals, I see." Bumi continued with the teasing. "It is the best part of one's wedding."

Aang and Katara were blushing like mad, really embarrassed.

"Ah! I must say, I would really love more great-grandchildren. Make me proud." Pakku said with a wink.

The newlyweds gulped, their faces completely flushed.

Now it was chief Arnook's turn. "Good thing the palace is made of stone and metal, rather than ice, like mine. Otherwise it would melt tonight."

Everyone laughed at that… except for Katara and Aang.

Aang finally managed to speak. "Yeah...well… we should get going now."

Just as they started to move, Hakoda spoke. "Don't worry, you two. I instructed the staff to stay clear of that wing tonight. We all know how virgins can get." Again, all of the old folks were laughing. Even Kanna was chuckling.

_Good grief, why must men be pigs?_ Katara thought to herself. She took her husband's hand and finally began to proceed before Kanna stopped her by grabbing her arm. "What is it, Gran-Gran?" She asked.

The old lady smiled. "My dear little waterbender…Please go easy on the poor boy. We need the Avatar in one piece." With that, all of the old people lost it. Bumi was actually rolling around on the floor. Pakku and Kanna laughed so hard tears were coming out of their eyes.

_I changed my mind, _Katara thought. _OLD PEOPLE are pigs. Not to mention they are completely wasted._ At the moment Katara was just happy that most of the people there were drunk now, so nobody really paid attention to this little fiasco. She didn't need it to be announced where she was going with Aang.

Aang and Katara were finally able proceed down the hall to their destination. It was going to be quite a night. Katara remembered that after he proposed, Aang started to make advances while they were making out in her bedroom. She stopped him, however, and told him she wanted to wait until their wedding night. Such was part of the water tribe customs, and she wanted to abide by it, thinking it would make the moment much greater. Aang had agreed without question, and she knew it was killing him, but he had actually been quite patient. He never made a move, respecting her wish. She decided to repay him by fulfilling _his_ wish; Aang didn't want a quick 5 minute session driven by lust. He wanted a passionate, romantic, love-filled night where they didn't just have sex, but made love. Knowing that Aang actually wanted passionate love and wasn't just looking to satisfy his desires with her body really turned her on. He wanted passion, and Katara fully intended to deliver. By the time they reached her bedroom. Katara was extremely aroused just from thinking about it.

As they stepped in her bedroom and Aang closed the door, he was quite shocked when Katara attacked him with a ferocious yet loving kiss as she wrapped her arms around his neck. The force with which she threw herself at him pushed him against the wall. Aang was enjoying this inner beast that was being unleashed from his wife. He wrapped his arms around her waist just as she pulled back.

"You have been such a well-behaved and patient boy, my love," she said in a rather seductive tone. "And those who behave well deserve a reward." She gave him another kiss.

Aang played along with her. "You treat me quite well. In fact, I should say you spoil me."

Katara pulled out of his embrace. "I'm going to quickly wash myself up a bit and prepare to present myself to you," She said more seriously but still with a hint of lust. "Why don't you make yourself comfortable and get yourself ready?" With that, she disappeared into the bathroom, which was to the immediate left after you entered the room.

Aang could here the water from her private tub running and then remembered the other important part of the wedding night ritual that Katara told him: The couple was supposed to present themselves to each other fully nude. He realized that when she came back out, she was going to be naked! He had to admit he was slightly shocked that she wanted to obey these traditions. The arranged marriages and the forbidding of women to learn waterbending up north pissed her off. Perhaps it was because these traditions weren't as controlling or sexist. But enough about that…he had to get ready! Aang locked the door and quickly set about trying to make a slightly romantic setting. He fixed and arranged the bedding, making the blanket and sheets look perfect. He fluffed the pillows until he thought they looked good. _Too bad the maids hadn't fixed her bed earlier_, Aang thought. Good thing Katara was bathing, which gave him some time. He grabbed a few candles from her nightstand (she told him where she kept them in case she needed extra light) and placed them around the room, lighting them with firebending. He put a couple on her vanity table and her writing desk, both of which were on the opposite wall as her bed. He then placed a couple on her nightstand, which on the right side of her bed if you we're laying in it. He grabbed a cloth and wiped off the window which was opposite the door in her room, allowing more of the moonlight to enter the room. Her room was on the third floor, so they didn't have to worry about any perverts watching from outside…or any overprotective brothers who shall remain nameless.

Aang knew that the moonlight always soothed Katara, and he wanted her to feel as eased as possible. He didn't want her to be pressured.

_Oh, crap!_ He thought. _What if the candles were too much? What if they make her feel uneasy?_ He pondered and finally decided they shouldn't be a problem. There weren't that many. With that, Aang had one last thing to do. He stripped himself completely of his clothes and threw them in her closet, which was right across from the bathroom, or to your right shortly after you walked in. He was worried that if she saw his clothes it might her a little uneasy.

Aang now lay on the left side of the bed, the side farther from the door and closer to the window. As he lay there, completely naked, his insecurities began to surface.

_What if this isn't good enough? What if she doesn't like what she sees? What if she still feels uncomfortable? What if I fail to satisfy her?_

Aang pondered these questions. He realized suddenly that he was rather nervous. But there was only one way to answer these questions, right? Then he reminded himself that she was probably nervous too. He remained there, waiting for his love to finish and present herself to him. As scared as he was, he was more excited. He resolved to just lay there and wait.

Katara's arousal was actually starting to hurt as she finished her quick bath. She drained the water, got out, and waterbended herself dry. She looked in the mirror and started combing her hair, trying to get it to look just perfect. She was going to look her absolute best for her Aang. They had both waited so long for this moment. It was going to happen tonight. She couldn't help but think how lucky she was that Aang not only put no pressure on her, but actually wanted a special night. He wanted magic. He wanted passion. He wanted love. She was ready to deliver. She finished combing her hair and carefully examined it.

_Perfect,_ she thought. She was now ready to present herself to her lover. She put the comb down. Turned around, approached the door, and extended her hand to open the handle.

She stopped.

Her hand was centimeters from the door. Why did she stop? All she had to do was turn the handle and pull. It wasn't rocket science here! She willed her hand to touch the door handle. It refused to budge. She was completely frozen. _What am I doing, here? _She thought. _Aang is waiting right outside, ready for me; ready for this. Why am I just standing here, unable to move?_ At that very moment Katara realized that all the excitement and arousal that was consuming her not thirty seconds ago was completely drained from her. Suddenly realization hit her like a lightning bolt from Azula:

She was scared.

Katara pulled away from the door and suddenly became very self-conscious. What if Aang didn't like what she had to offer? What if she screwed the night up? What if she was unable to satisfy him? What if it doesn't feel right? She was suddenly pacing back and forth in her bathroom in indecision. She tried to mentally gather herself, but couldn't. All she could do was pace around the bathroom. After a little while she tried scolding herself.

_Get yourself together, here! _She told herself. _You are gorgeous. You are stunning. You have a handsome and amazing husband right outside that door who loves you more than life itself! He has been patient and waited until this night just for you. Are you going to let a little fear stop you from experiencing this with the man you love?_ Katara faced the door and headed straight for it… freezing once again. Damnit! Why couldn't she do this?

At that moment she heard Aang's voice piercing through the wall. "Katara, is everything okay?" He sounded concerned.

"Yes, Aang. I'm just a little…uh, nervous," She replied.

"That's okay, Katara. Take as long as you need," She heard him say.

Well, at least she wasn't on a time limit here. Thank goodness for that. At the moment she was tired from pacing and sat down, leaning against the wall with her knees up to her chest. She couldn't believe herself. She was unable to walk out of that door just because she was a little scared… okay, really scared. She tried taking a few deep breaths to relax herself. It didn't work. Maybe she should meditate. That helped Aang with a lot of things. She positioned herself exactly like he would and tried to do exactly what he said to do when meditating. She focused on her breathing and tried to push out all thoughts. _Breathe in…two…three…four. Breathe out…two…three…four. Breathe in…two…What if Aang didn't like what he…NO! Focus! Breathe in…two…three…She might not satisfy…Damn! Focus here! _

"Katara, are you okay? I'm just making sure you're all right."

"I'm okay, Aang. Just a little bit more time, okay?"

"Take your time, Katara."

The meditation wasn't working. Nothing was working! Katara realized that right now, she didn't even feel like doing it. _Oh, that's just dandy, _Her conscience said. _Tease your husband like a dog, right don't you? _Katara curled up, unsure of what to do. All this indecision was killing her. She didn't want to anymore. She was too scared. But she couldn't just let Aang down like that. He fulfilled her wish. Now she had to fulfill his! But it's wasn't just about him. It was about her, too. She didn't have to do this if she wasn't ready! But of course, that just went back to letting down Aang. He had been so patient. He never pressured her. That had to take a lot of self-control. How could she just decide not to because she was scared after that? But still, she didn't have to if she wasn't ready! But…Aang…aaaarrrrrggggggghhhhhh! Katara's pulse skyrocketed, she was sweating, and her breathing was becoming very heavy. What's a girl to do?

Katara lost all sense of time as she sat there, curled up in a ball, feeling like she was going to explode. Her thoughts began to drift. She had no idea how long it had been, but she finally didn't seem so scared. _Aang loves me. He'll love my body, _She said to herself with confidence. She stood up, ready to proceed. She opened the door and stepped out. Suddenly her confidence waned when she looked at the window and could see that the few slivers of sunlight coming through window indicated that morning was upon them. _Uh oh. _She walked over to the bed and found Aang on his back… sleeping.

She couldn't be mad, though. The wedding and reception had been exhausting, and he had probably laid there waiting for hours. Hell, she would've fallen asleep if her brain hadn't kept running a hundred miles an hour. She took note of the flickering candles, the well made bed, and the cleaned window. Suddenly she felt slightly worse, knowing that Aang had gone through some trouble to try and make the night more romantic. She blew out all the lit candles so as to avoid a fire, and then looked at her husband in his fully nude form.

She sighed. Well, she might as well get a few hours sleep before he wakes up. She went back into the bathroom to put her bindings back on. She then crawled into the right side of the bed, careful not to wake her husband. He merely turned onto his side. She gently pulled the blanket, which he had folded back, over the both of them. With that, she sighed and let sleep overtake her.

_Tomorrow is going to be fun, _she thought sarcastically.

* * *

Aang stirred awake, slightly annoyed because what had woken him up was the morning sun's light coming through the window and hitting the mirror on Katara's vanity desk at just the right angle to hit him in the face. He shifted to the right a little to get the beam of death out of his face. He was awake enough to remember he was naked- wait, why was he under the covers?

He thought back and let the memories come to him. Katara went to wash up, he prepared the room, he took his clothes off, he laid on the bed…and waited…and called to her…twice. After that he just remembered more waiting. He didn't quite remember when he had fallen asleep.

That's when he noticed Katara under the blankets next to him.

Did they make love? If they did, why couldn't he remember it? He needed some answers. He reluctantly nudged Katara, causing her to stir. She looked peaceful as she slept, but he needed to know what happened. He nudged her a little more and spoke to her. "Katara, honey, wake up. Wake up, please. I need to talk to you."

Katara stirred and woke up to Aang's voice behind her. _Oh, boy, _she thought to herself. She remembered completely, and it was confession time. She turned to face her husband. "Good morning Aang," She said with the smallest smile possible.

"Katara, what happened last night? When did I fall asleep?" He inquired.

"What do you mean?" She asked, slightly confused.

"I don't remember last night completely," Aang confessed to her. "I remember getting ready for…you know…_it,_ and I remember calling out to you because you were taking forever. You said you were a little nervous so I waited. But I never got under the covers to my knowledge. Was I drunk? Did we…you know…and I just forgot?" He sighed. "I'm sorry Katara but I'm really confused."

For a second Katara saw an exit strategy. She could just lie: _Oh yeah, Aang. We had us some mind-blowing sex last night. You really rocked my socks. It's a shame you don't remember. _

She abandoned that idea. It'd only make her feel worse inside if she lied about the whole situation. Aang deserved the truth. It was time to come clean. "Aang, the truth is we… didn't do it last night."

Aang's eyes shot open. Now he was fully awake. "Katara, what do you mean? What happened?"

She gave him the blunt truth. "I got really nervous and never came out of the bathroom. It was several hours before I got the courage to come out and… well… by that time the sun was just coming up and I saw you were asleep."

Aang seemed most shocked by an assumption he made from her confession. "Katara, did you… see me… naked?"

She was incapable of lying. "Yes."

Aang suddenly felt incredibly insecure, incredibly embarrassed, and incredibly frustrated all at once. He screamed and yanked the entire blanket to shield himself. That's when he realized she wasn't even naked like he was! He ran in between her writing desk and her vanity table, curling up into a ball and yanking the covers around him.

Katara tried to reach out to him. "Aang, calm down," She said softly.

"Calm down? Calm down? Katara, you've seen me naked! I haven't seen you but you've seen me." He then whispered "I feel so dirty right now."

She just barely heard his confession. "I'm sorry Aang."

"I waited Katara," Aang said, sounding sad, embarrassed, and angry at the same time. Now he turned to face her still sitting in the bed. "I waited. I waited for _you._ I was patient because you wanted to wait until last night. I never argued with you. I never pressured you. I promised to wait and I kept that promise. And now… now you've seen my body and can decide whether or not I'm good enough. You're in a position to judge me!" A few tears were sparkling in his eyes.

She got off the bed and walked towards him until he was only a few feet away from her.

"I'm sorry Aang." Was all she could say again.

Aang stood up looked her in the eyes. The anger from his face faded, but the obvious sadness and disappointment was still there. "Well, what's done is done. I'm gonna go get dressed and eat something." With that, he fetched his clothes and disappeared into the bathroom.

Katara fell on her bed, looking at the ceiling. There was no more anger in his voice, but there was plenty of sadness. This was not the way things were supposed to go. The wedding night was supposed to be magical and loving, and the two of them were supposed to wake up more in love than ever. Instead, the wedding night just fell through the cracks, resulting in a now guilt-ridden Katara and an obviously upset Aang.

_Damn nerves! They had to ruin everything! _Katara thought.

Aang emerged from the bathroom, fully dressed. He looked over to katara, and walked up to her.

"Hey, everything's all right," Aang said half-heartedly. He smiled, but Katara could tell it wasn't a genuine Aang smile.

"I'm really sorry, Aang," Katara said with sadness dripping from her voice.

"Just get dressed and let's go get some breakfast," her new husband said.

Katara reluctantly got up to go get dressed. Aang was obviously disappointed, and trying not to show it. This was not good. She had to make it up to him, somehow. She couldn't just let him hide his feelings. She remembered the Serpents Pass. Seeing Aang bottling up his emotions broke her heart. She _did not _want a repeat of that.

_We haven't even been married for 24 hours and we may already be having problems. Not the best way to start a marriage._

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**Oh noes! problems are already arising! Sorry for no lemon. There _will _be lemons, but they are far down the road. This fic is focused on... you know... the trials of marriage. I'll try to get chapter 3 out faster. Thank you for you patience. Review please~**


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